On the one hand, I kind of feel like it would have been futile trying to reason with those clods. Doubly so if you had actually inflicted violence on him. Then he would certainly have gone on hating homosexuals til the day he dies.
On the other hand, I had a shocking experience the other day. In my latest LJ post I have an argument about stem cell research. Using that argument, I actually changed someone's mind on the issue. It was unprecedented. I'm so used to dialectics that just lead to these agree-to-disagree conclusions, and then out of nowhere comes this. He was adamant before and now he's totally reversed his opinion. I almost felt like I violated the guy's opinions somehow.
Anyway I guess the lesson is that on rare occasions, you can change people, with the right methods.
But I would have been tempted to clobber the gay-basher, too.
Obviously, yes, smashing a ceramic plate over his head wouldn't have done much to further the cause of tolerance. It would, however, have been (momentarily) extremely satisfying.
I don't know why it bothered me so much...it's not as if I'm not used to it. I've spent my entire life (until last August, when I came to Chicago for school) in an area where racism and homophobia are pretty much status quo. I spent the last four years patiently but firmly explaining to brick wall after brick wall why "faggot" was not an acceptable word and why "gay" was not an appropriate alternative to "dumb". As far as I know, I've never really enlightened anyone...but I still thought that someone should at least sow the seeds. Whether they get watered or not...well, it's unlikely, but at least it's possible. That's the biggest reason I was upset at myself, too - for making such a big mess of it. Over the years, I've become very good at talking to people about homophobia, but today I was just totally caught off guard
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On the other hand, I had a shocking experience the other day. In my latest LJ post I have an argument about stem cell research. Using that argument, I actually changed someone's mind on the issue. It was unprecedented. I'm so used to dialectics that just lead to these agree-to-disagree conclusions, and then out of nowhere comes this. He was adamant before and now he's totally reversed his opinion. I almost felt like I violated the guy's opinions somehow.
Anyway I guess the lesson is that on rare occasions, you can change people, with the right methods.
But I would have been tempted to clobber the gay-basher, too.
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I don't know why it bothered me so much...it's not as if I'm not used to it. I've spent my entire life (until last August, when I came to Chicago for school) in an area where racism and homophobia are pretty much status quo. I spent the last four years patiently but firmly explaining to brick wall after brick wall why "faggot" was not an acceptable word and why "gay" was not an appropriate alternative to "dumb". As far as I know, I've never really enlightened anyone...but I still thought that someone should at least sow the seeds. Whether they get watered or not...well, it's unlikely, but at least it's possible. That's the biggest reason I was upset at myself, too - for making such a big mess of it. Over the years, I've become very good at talking to people about homophobia, but today I was just totally caught off guard ( ... )
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